Artist Christina Duarte will be showing a new body of work at ValleyArts from January 10th through February 1st, 2019. Valley Arts is located at 400 South Jefferson Blvd, Orange, NJ 07050 and will host an opening night on Thursday, January 10th from 6pm-8pm. Meet the artist, view the work and enjoy a fresh commentary on the female portrait.

Each of us has people that have impacted our lives. John Donne famously wrote, “No man is an island entire of itself.” Yet, in today’s world we are more and more isolated in our daily experiences, living “virtual” lives where we are expected to uphold a certain persona in order to achieve acceptance. This is especially true for women. Society requires women to behave in a particular way, hiding our vulnerability and true selves both for safety and social inclusion.

“The paintings I have created for Faces of Veracity show both the external mask and the internal conflicts of each individual. These are women who have greatly influenced my life and whom have gifted me with a view of their most authentic selves. I have done my best, through paint, to do them justice. In representing these two sides of each individual I am creating a dialogue about women who feel the need to cover their true feelings while reflecting the current state of our culture that enforces this behavior. As a body of work these paintings represent a collection of narratives of strong women who are willing to allow this revelation as a platform to speak out against prejudice, sexism and the stigma of personal struggle. In the poem I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou writes, “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” I am honored and privileged to be allowed to portray these stories. There are many more to be told.”